Grampa Joad Quotes

Pa broke in, "Yeah, ever’ night Grampa’d get mad. Tumble over Winfield, an’ Winfield’d yell, an’ Grampa’d get mad an’ wet his drawers, an’ that’d make him madder, an’ purty soon ever’body in the house’d be yellin’ their head off." His words tumbled out between chuckles. "Oh, we had lively times. One night when ever’body was yellin’ an’ a-cussin’, your brother Al, he’s a smart aleck now, he says, ‘Goddamn it, Grampa, why don’t you run off an’ be a pirate?’ Well, that made Grampa so goddamn mad he went for his gun. Al had ta sleep out in the fiel’ that night. But now Granma an’ Grampa both sleeps in the barn."
Ma said, "They can jus’ get up an’ step outside when they feel like it. Pa, run on out an’ tell ’em Tommy’s home. Grampa’s a favorite of him."

– John Steinbeck

The Grapes of Wrath, Chapter 8. Here Pa Joad tells us about Grampa and Granma Joad, two characters that provide comic relief in the novel. Grampa is a senile dirty old man, and the devoutly religious and strong-willed Granma is in charge of him. They have to sleep in the barn because of their need to get up so often in the early hours to use the bathroom.

Grampa was ahead, a lean ragged, quick old man, jumping with quick steps and favoring his right leg – the side that came out of joint. He was buttoning his fly as he came, and his old hands were having trouble finding the buttons, for he had buttoned the top button into the second buttonhole, and that threw the whole sequence off. He wore dark ragged pants and a torn blue shirt, open all the way down, and showing long gray underwear, also unbuttoned. His lean white chest, fuzzed with white hair, was visible through the opening in his underwear. He gave up the fly and left it open and fumbled with the underwear buttons, then gave the whole thing up and hitched his brown suspenders. His was a lean excitable face with little bright eyes as evil as a frantic child’s eyes.

– John Steinbeck

The Grapes of Wrath, Chapter 8. Grampa Joad is described here as a ragged old man who has lost the capacity to carry out simply tasks like dressing himself.

A cantankerous, complaining, mischievous, laughing face. He fought and argued, told dirty stories. He was as lecherous as always. Vicious and cruel and impatient, like a frantic child, and the whole structure overlaid with amusement. He drank too much when he could get it, ate too much when it was there, talked too much all the time.

– John Steinbeck

The Grapes of Wrath, Chapter 8. The patriarch of the Joad family Grampa Joad is portrayed as lecherous, a teller of dirty stories, cantankerous and mischievous. Exactly the character needed to provide some comic relief in what is a serious novel dealing with a number of weighty themes.

Grampa walked up and slapped Tom on the chest, and his eyes grinned with affection and pride. "How are ya, Tommy?"
"O.K.," said Tom. "How ya keepin’ yaself?"
"Full a piss an’ vinegar," said Grampa. His mind jumped. "Jus’ like I said, they ain’t a gonna keep no Joad in jail. I says, ‘Tommy’ll come a-bustin’ outa that jail like a bull through a corral fence.’ An’ you done it. Get outa my way, I’m hungry."

– John Steinbeck

The Grapes of Wrath, Chapter 8. When Grampa Joad enthusiastically greets Tom, he mistakingly believes that his grandson has broken out of jail. No prison is strong enough to hold a Joad, boasts the old patriarch.

Tom grinned affectionately at him. "Ain’t he a heller?" he said. And Grampa’s mouth was so full that he couldn’t even splutter, but his mean little eyes smiled, and he nodded his head violently.
Granma said proudly, "A wicketer, cussin’er man never lived. He’s goin’ to hell on a poker, praise Gawd! Wants to drive the truck!" she said spitefully. "Well, he ain’t goin’ ta."

– John Steinbeck

The Grapes of Wrath, Chapter 8. She may be devoutly religious, but there is no holding back Granma Joad’s tongue when it comes to her speaking her mind. When Tom Joad affectionately describes Grampa as a "heller" – a wild person – Granma calls him a wicked man who is going straight to hell. There is no way that Grampa is going to drive the family to California, Granma vows. There’s no mistaking who is the boss there.

"This here’s my country. I b’long here. An’ I don’t give a goddamn if they’s oranges an’ grapes crowdin’ a fella outa bed even. I ain’t a-goin’. This country ain’t no good, but it’s my country. No, you all go ahead. I’ll jus’ stay right here where I b’long."

– John Steinbeck

The Grapes of Wrath, Chapter 10. Grampa Joad declares that he is not for moving, when the family announces that they are all packed up and ready to go to California. After being initially positive about the move, Grampa has changed his mind. He belongs in Oklahoma, he says, and all the oranges in California are not going to entice him there. However, the family laces his coffee with medicine which puts him to sleep and take him along anyway.

Without warning Grampa being to cry. His chin wavered and his old lips tightened over his mouth and he sobbed hoarsely. Ma rushed over to him and put her arms around him. She lifted him to his feet, her broad back straining, and she half lifted, half helped him into the tent.

– John Steinbeck

The Grapes of Wrath, Chapter 13. Ma Joad is the emotional and physical backbone of the Joad family. When Grampa, who is about to die and likely knows it, breaks into sobs, Ma is the first to rush to him and offer comfort and support. The Joads look to Ma for their strength and hope.

"What’s the matter’th you?" she demanded of Grampa. And again his eyes reached toward her voice and his lips writhed. "He’s sulkin’," said Granma. "I tol’ you he was tricky. He was gonna sneak away this mornin’ so he wouldn’t have to come. An’ then his hip got a-hurtin’," she said disgustedly. "He’s jus’ sulkin’. I seen him when he wouldn’t talk to nobody before."

– John Steinbeck

The Grapes of Wrath, Chapter 13. When Grampa is dying of a stroke inside a tent, Granma Joad doesn’t realize how serious his condition is. Her gruff and seemingly unsympathetic comments may appear hard, as she suggests that he is being "tricky" and "sulkin’." But her remark that he is healthy enough to run off that morning could suggest that she is not completely with it herself.

"This here is William James Joad, dyed of a stroke, old old man. His fokes bured him becaws they got no money to pay for funerls. Nobody kilt him. Jus a stroke and he dyed."

– John Steinbeck

The Grapes of Wrath, Chapter 13. When the Joads bury Grampa Joad in the woods near the campsite, as they can’t afford a funeral, they leave this note with the body. The note is written by Tom and he reads it to Ma, who gives her approval. It makes for a rather sad epitaph, explaining the financial reason for the unusual buriel. It’s placed in a fruit jar with Grampa.
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